The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-03-13
A VERY VAST EiTERPRI,E
IN WHICH rive MILLION DOL
LARS WERE sunk.
The Story OF "rhe Collins Overland
Telegraph, Western Union
Extension,
,spEciAL OonnEsrosDr,or OF TIE ArrrAL.l

isPEciAL coRREsPoSDE OF TIE APPEAL
WASHINGTON, March lit took
genius to conceive and exceptional
pluck and an unlimited command of
capital to organize, twenty three
years ago, the scheme to build an
overland telegraph line through
British Columbia, Alaska, Kams-
chatka and Siberia, connect them by
cable Under Behring strait, and thus
establish direct communication be-
tween New York and st. Petersburg,
aud through that capital with Paris
aud London. IL 1t had succeeded
ARRANGEMENTS were made to sound
che fame Of the great achievement
throughout the civilized world. 1t
would have ranked with the build
ing Of the Pacific railroad and the
Suez canal; books would have been
published describing in detail the
organization and execution Of the
gigantic enterprise; history OF each
separate division Of the great expe-
diIion would have been prepare d,
embellished%ith personal narratives
descriptive Of thrilling adventures
aud illustrated by numerous maps
and eDgravings from sketches made
by special artists. II the attempts
TO lay an Atlantic cable had con-
tinued to fail the stock Of the over
land company would have been
eagerly sought for in New York, and
its pr iectors would have made large
fortunes.
But an Atlantic cable was SUCCESS
fully stretched from shore TO shore
and began at once TO give satsfac-
tory service. The obstacles which
the overland company encountered
were greater than we're anticipated.
The three expeditions were with
drawn; the material that had been
collected was sold; the journals,
maps and other papers we're gathered
up and sent TO New York and have
never seen the light, and the mana
gers pockeled their loss aud said as
little as possible about it. One Of
the explorers, Frederick Wymper,
tod the story OF his personal expe-
riences in a book entitled q" ravel
and Adventure in Alaska; George
KEENAN,, another of them, wrote that
charming book, Tent Life in Siberia
and Kamschatka," and Richard j.
Bush, a third of them, gave us Rein
deer, Dogs and Snow shoes" These
are all narratives of personal adven-
ture, but the story of the enterprise
has never been written, and never
can be in detail, unless the journals
and other papers have been preserved
in New York. and unless those who
have them will consent to their use.
My interest in this great but un-
fortunate enterprise was aroused by
meeting, not together, the other day,
two of the young men who took part
in making the explorations for it.
! call them young men because they
are both comparatively SO yet, and
were only boys when they we're brav-
ing the hardships of the arctic travel
nearly quarter of century ago,
Mr.. Georg4 KEENAN, is Washing
con journalist, but has recently re-
turned from visit to the convict
provinces of Siberia, and | had the
privilege of listening to most alb
aorbinply interesting description of a
day with Count Tolstoi, read by him
before the Washington Literary So
eiety the other evening. The other
is Mr.. Henry w. Elliott, whose re-
gently published book on Alaska is
universally concluded to be the best
and most comprehensive work upon
our Northwestern possessions that
has yet appeared II was from Mr..
Elliott that | obtained some inter
esting facts about the overland tele-
graph scheme that have not before
been printed.